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2013 Volvo V40 gets all-time high safety rating

The Volvo V40, unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Image: NRMA New Cars/Flickr/CC BY

Volvo’s 2013 V40 replaces both the V30 and the V50. But is is no compromise, especially in terms of safety. A European safety regulator reported the highest safety rating any car it has tested — ever.

Unprecedented safety rating

Volvo has touted its excellent safety record for years, and this week’s report from the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) will do nothing to weaken that reputation. The V40 received excellent marks, with five stars overall. In some categories, it achieved the highest marks ever recorded by the safety organization.

Thomas Broberg, Volvo’s senior technical safety adviser, said:

“A fantastic result. We are very proud to have one of the world’s safest cars and we’re taking yet another important step toward our 2020 target — that nobody should die or be seriously injured in a Volvo.”

Broberg continued, highlighting some of the V40’s innovative safety features:

“The new Volvo V40 was launched as the most intelligent and the safest car in its segment, and it is truly packed with active safety systems such as auto brake, Pedestrian Detection to shield pedestrians, Lane Keeping Aid which helps the driver stay within his or her lane, and BLIS which helps the driver detect vehicles in the offset rear ‘blind spot.'”

For adult passenger protection, the small sedan features such innovations as a whiplash protection system. It also utilizes the first-ever exterior airbag for pedestrian protection.

Euro NCAP gave the V40 a perfect score for its safety assist technologies for avoiding accidents, such as its City Safety and Pedestrian Detection system.

Children left behind

The only area of testing criteria where the V40 fell down was in child safety. In that category it received just a 75 percent mark. Volvo says it is working “continuously on improving the already high safety level of our cars through ongoing research into the reasons behind road accidents and by gaining in-depth understanding of the results of actual collisions.” Perhaps child safety is an area it could put more of that effort toward in the future.

Coming to America?

But don’t run out and inquire about automobile financing in anticipation of its release. At this point, the V40 is not being made available in the States. American enthusiasts are likely eager to to get their hands on the automaker’s latest darling. This week’s safety rating may do much to increase that clamor.